Processing of materials



Patented Mar. 7, 1944 AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESSING F MATERIALS Gustave T. Reich, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 23, 1940, Serial No. 320,479

15 Claims.

This invention relates to process and apparatus for the continuous processing of materials and especially for the continuous production from starch-containingv materials, such as grains, of a liquid mixture containing fermentable sugars,

technically known as wort. The invention is par-v ticularly directed to the provision of process and apparatus lsuitable for the low-cost production of power alcohol from starchy materials.

The general process of the manufacture of grain alcohol up to the fermentation consists of the following steps:`

1. Releasing the starch from the grain kernel the latter into Afermentable dextrose and maltose.

' 4; Cooling4 the wort to the fermentation temperature and the addition of theyeast.

It will be seen that two raw materials are utilized, cereals such as corn, rye, wheat and oats, and barley converted into malt. Cereals contain starch, while malt contains diastase and starch. The two ingredients are most effectively processed at a certain temperature, time and consistency. Starch can be liquefied from 160F. to 300 F. Whilediastase is most Aactive around IBO-160 F. and up to 180 F., above this temperature its activity isl decreased very,l rapidly. The reaction of the diastase upon the starch is called saccharificatiomf and the density ofthe liquid obtained depends upon the extractive matter. Theyieldl of the extractive matter affects the operation efficiency and the ultimate use of the final product, alcohol. ,Some distillers sacrice the yield in the extractive matter, claiming: in this manner to produce a superior beverage alcohol. AHowever, it is problematical whether a higher yield working at an elevatedl temperature will produce a lower grade product, provided conditions are properly regulated. However, for the production of power alcohol, the higher the extractive matter, the lower the manufacturing cost.

The present method of mashing and saccharifying cereals is too expensive and cumbersome for the production of low-costl vpower alcohol. A continuous process and compact equipment, reducing the capital investment, designed for the betterutilization of steam, and reducing labor and building costs to va minimum are very desirable.

The object of the present' invention is the-provision of such a process and apparatus.

In order to provide a clearer picture of the distinctive features of the invention, a brief derscription of the present mode of processing grains vstored in bins from which they are weighed and It is customary to take part of the' ground. malt required for saccharifying the starch with the cereal right at the beginning. The weighed, crushed malt and weighed, ground cereal, with the proper amount of water, are mixed in the grain cooker. This cooker is usually a cylindrical tank, built sufficiently strong, thatthe starch in the grain can be gelatinized under to 100 pounds pressur'. During the cooking, an/agitator keeps the ground grain in suspension, and live steam is introduced under the above pressure through several valves until the grain is completely disintegrated. and the starch gelatinized. When the batch is completed the excess steam is released, and as the mash reaches atmospheric pressure vacuum is applied and the batch is cooled tothe setting temperature for saccharification, which is around 160 F.

l'I'he crushed malt required for saccharication is first mixed with hot water so as to produce a malt milk and added to the cooked and cooied cereal mash. After mixing and allowing the diastase to react for a certain length oftime, the finished product passes through water coolers, and then to the fermenters.

This process is an lentirely batch process. Malt and cereals are weighed in batches, cooked in batches, and saccharified in batches.

As applied to the production of wort, the process of the invention typically includes the following steps: pre-cooking the grain, cooking the grain, pre-mashing the malt, saccharifying the mash, and cooling the wort. Each of these steps is continuous. The cooking and saccharifying operations, in particular,.are carried out in such a manner that the material being treated passes through all parts of the treating zone at a rate proportional to the rate of .feed to the zone so that the time and conditions of treatment of each portion of the material are uniform. This unlformity is not an average uniformity due to mixing of undertreated and overtreated material, but is an absolute uniformity arising from the subjection of each portion of the material to the Same treatxlierxt without any substantially intermingling of earlier-fed material with later-fed material in the zones of treatment.

A further feature of the invention is the carrying out of the cooking operation in a series of stages of successively increasing temperature and pressure. The cooked material is xthen flashcooled in a. corresponding succession of stages, the vapor removed at each stage being supplied to a preceding cooking stage. In this way, a very great increase in eiciency and a corresponding decrease in steam consumption is obtained.

For some purposes, particularly when there is a demand for a large amount of low pressure steam, it. is advantageous to heat the material to be cooked to the maximum temperature in one continuous stage and to flash-cool the material to the desired final temperature in a series of stages of successively lowered temperature and presf sure, the steam released at each stage being utilized in other steps ofthe process or in other processes. This method has the advantage of greatly increasing the disintegration of the material being cooked in the flash-cooling operations and of making it possible to convey the material from one cooking stage to the next by means of its own, pressure, thus eliminating the use of pumps or the utilization of headroom to provide gravity flow.

The invention will be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is asemi-diagrammatic representation of a system of apparatus for the production of wort and the like in accordance with the prin-'- ciples of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, of a form of saccharifier embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan view, Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4, of another forl'n of saccharier.

In Fig. 1, III is a precooker, comprising a horizontal trough, provided with a stirrer II, a live steam inletl I2, a jacket I3 and an overflow regulator I4. The precooker is connected with a water supply tank I5 and malt and grain feed bins I6 and I1, respectively, provided with continuous feeding devices I8 and I9. The overflow chamber of the precooker is connected with a grinder 20 which discharges into cookeI-feed tank 2| connected to the cooker through heat exchanger 22.

The`cooker shown in the drawings comprises lthree units 23, 24, 25, but two units or more than three units may be used. Each cooker unit is Pipes 21, 28, and 29 provided with a stirrer 26. and pumps 30, 3| and 32 provide for the continnous feed of material serially through cooker units 2324 and 25 in succession. The discharge from cooker unit 25 passes successively through flash coolers 33, 34, 35. The vapor space of flash cooler 33 is connected to cooker unit 24 by pipe 36 and the vapor space of flash cooler 34 is connected to cooker unit 23 by pipe 31.

Cooker unit 25 is supplied with steam from high pressure steam line 38. Additional steam may also be supplied to cooker units 24 and 23 from this line.

Material from fiash cooler 35 passes through cooler 39 to mixer 40. Malt from bin 4I is supplied to mixer 40 through feeder 42, premasher 43, grinder 44 and storage tank 45.

Heat exchanger is provided in the outlet from saocharifier 46.

The following isan illustrative example Aof the application of the method of the invention to the production of wort in the apparatus of Fig. 1:

Corn, malt and Water (heated to '170 F. by heat from exhaust steam and condenser water) are continuously fed into precooker I0, in the proportion of 1000 bushels of corn, 10 bushels of malt and 20,200 gallons of water. The mixture is heated to, and maintained at, 170 F. by the injection of live steam or by indirect heating or both. In passing through the precooker the mixture is stirred. only suiciently to prevent substantial segregation. The rate of ow through the precooker is'determined by the rate of feed of the materials and the length of time the material remains in the precooker for a given rate of flow is determined by the size ofthe precooker and the position of the outlet. Since the mixture is only slowly stirred to prevent segregation, it passes through the precooker at a uniform rate determined by the rate of flow, each portion being subjected to the temperature of the precooker for the same7 length of time. For the batch described herein by way of example, the material may advantageously be subjected to a temperature of 170 F. in the precooker for about 30 minutes.

The warm, softened cereal may now pass through a degerminator, not shown, or pass directly into grinder 26. Owingto the precooking and subsequent grinding, which is preferably very fine, the gelatinization in the cooking operation is very rapid and efficient, the starch is readily liquefied, settling of the suspended matter is prevented and the yield of extractive matter is increased. From the grinder the liquid mass passes into feed tank 2i. Instead of adding all the water to the grain in the precooker, a portion of it may be added after the grinding operation.

The mixture is continuously fed from the feed tank into the first cooker unit 23 through pump 30 and pipe 21 preferably by way of preheater 22 wherein its temperature may be raised to 185 F. or higher. In this unit the mash is raised to 235 F. at 8 pounds pressure by means of stream from ash cooler 34 wherein the cooked mash is dropped from 3 5 pounds pressure to 8 pounds pressure. The mash from cooker unit 23 is pumped continuously into cooker unit 24 where it is raised to 281 F. at 35 pounds pressure by steam from flash cooler 33, aided, if necessary, by a small amount of steam from the high pressure, supply. The mash from cooker unit 24 is pumped continuously into cooker unit 25 where it is raised to 312 F. and 65 pounds pressure by steam from the high pressure steam Mixer 49 feeds into saccharifier 46, which is provided with bellies 41, stirrer 48 and Jacket 49,

supply.

The cooked mash flows continuously out of cooker unit 25, passing successively through flash coolers 33, 34, 35`and cooler 39. In flash cooler 33 the pressure is dropped 35 pounds by flashing into cooker unit 24. In flash cooler 34 the pressure is dropped to 8 pounds by flashing into cooker unit 23. In flash cooler 35 the pressure is dropped to 3 pounds or less, the steam from this cooler being used to heat precooker I8 or saccharifier 46 or both. In cooler 39 the mash is further cooled to aboutv F. by heat exchange with a stream of water, advantageously that which has already passed through cooler 50. The hot water from cooler 39 may be used to heat saccharifier 46 or it may be used to pre-.

f up the grain mix in the precooker.

heat the mash in heat exchanger 22 and then conveyed tewater tank i5 for use in making AA fourth ilash tank operating under vacuum may be used.

'The pressure ranges in Lthe various cooking stages and corresponding ilash cooling stages are merely illustrative and may, of course, be varied for diil'erent materials or diiferent conditions. It will be noted that although the iiow o! grain mash through the cooker units and flash coolers is continuous, the pressure is iny creased stepwise in the cookers and correspondingly decreased stepwise in the coolers.

The cooker units may be uniform in size or they may be of different sizes. -At a given rate of feed the length f time thematerial is exposed to each cooking stage will depend upon the volume of materialin the cooker unit for that stage. Under the conditions described herein. the time required to complete the cooking is about one hour, although by grinding the grain to a size approaching colloidal dimensions .thel

cooking may be completed in about one-half hour.

The cookers are preferably provided with slowly moving agitators which merely serve to prevent any substantial settling of the suspended matter and the material ilows in a uniform stream downward through the cookers without any substantial vertical mixing bythe agitators.

operations a very complete utilization of the steam supply is eected, reducing the steam consumption by almost '75% from the prior art procfesses. y

Although the process has been described, by

way of example, with,particular-reference tothe production of wort for fermenting into alcohol, the principles of the invention may also be applied to other industrial processing operations, such as the manufacture of corn sugar.

The principles of the invention are not liniited to the particular form of apparatus shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. To illustrate the application of these lprinciples to the sacchariflcation operation, two other forms ofsacchariers are shown in the drawings.

Figs. 2 and 3 show a vertical flow sacchari-v fier. This comprises a rectangular tank 60 having a cover 8l and a. iacketed bottom 62, provided By pumping the ground cereal always to the `top of the cookers where it is brought into contact with live steam of higher pressure, and by supplying-a very finely ground grain, preferably ner than hitherto used in the manufacture of alcohol, it has been found that a more rapid liquetaction of the starch is effected and relatively little settling occurs. The cookers may be provided with heating coils or jackets if desirable. The hot mash after cooling to about 155 F. is mixed in mixer 48" with malt which has been premashed and flnely ground in M and I5, using about 90 bushels of malt and 1800 gallons of water to 1000 bushels of corn. 'I'he mixture ofA malt and grain mash is continuously fed into saccharifler I8.

The volume capacity of the sacchariiier is such that the time required for a given portion of the mix to pass through it at the predetermined rate of feed -is suillcient to complete the saccharifica.- tion, in general one-half to one hour at 150- 160 F.

'I'he b'ailles 41, alternatelyprojecting from the top and bottom of the saccharier. cause the mixture to follow an up and down path through the sacchariiier. The stirrer 48 is designed merely to prevent undue sedimentation without excessivemixing'so that the time of passage. nf each` portion of the mixture through the sencharliler is substantially the same. Preferablv all the solids entering the sacchariiler are at' least as ilne as ilour.

If the sacchariiier ,is well insulated, there will be very little loss of heat. It is advantageous, however.. to provide a jacket 49 which vmay be supplied with hot water from mash cooler 39. or with steam fram flash cooler 35.

with inlet 53, outlet 6l and drain 65. 'I'he tank is divided into a plurality of compartments'by vertical partitions 68 projecting from the bot` tom. Each4 compartment is divided by partitions 61 into two vertical portions communicating at the bottom. Partitions 61 project at their upper ends above the. tops of partitions 88 and thus provide a pluralityof communicating vertical channels through the sacchariiler. At the bottom of each compartment, below the lower end of partitions 61, is angagitator 68, preferably rotating in the direction" indicated by tle ar-v row and comprising a plurality of short, straight blades 69, which may be slightly turned, mounted i flow saccharifler, comprising a rectangular tank 80, with cover 8| and jacket 82 `having an inlet 83 and outlet 8l. 85 is a vapor line andv 88 is a drain. The mash is introduced continuously at inlet 81 and the saccharified wort flows out through outlet 88.

For the purpose of preventing settling of solids without undue mixing of the material flowing through the sacchariiler, it is provided with twoV sets of agitators 88, 88' which are oscillated, back and forth counter to each other by crank-shaft 90.

I claim:

1. A method of processing materials which l comprises Vpassing a iluid aqueous mixture of the The hot water leaving the jacket is at'just the right temperature for preparingA the malt mash in tank I3. The .wort leaving, the saccharier is cooled l0 to about F. in cooler 58 vand then passes to the fermenters. l

As will be seen, the process is completely continuous andl by counter-current circulation of exhaust steam and water between the various material to be processed continuously through a plurality of zones, maintaining in each of said zones a. uniform condition of temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of the material, and thereafter evaporatively cooling said material by passing it through a plurality of zones maintained at successively decreasing pressures, and supplying heat to said first-mentioned zones by passing vapor from said second-mentioned z ones directly into contact with the material in said mst-mentioned zones.

l2. A method of processing materials which comprises passing a iluid aqueousmixture of the direction of flow of the material, and thereafter evaporatively cooling said material by passing it through a plurality of zones maintained Vat successively decreasing pressures, 'and supplying heat to said iirst-mentioned zones by passing vapor from said second-mentioned zones to said first-mentioned zones which are maintained at lower pressure than the pressure existing in the zone from which the vaporis derived.

3. In the production of wort the method which comprises passing a iluid aqueous suspension ol starch-containing 'material continuously through a plurality of zones, maintaining in each of said zones a uniform condition of temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of the material, and thereafter evaporatively cooling said material by passing it through a plurality of zones maintained at successively decreasing pressures, and supplying heat to said first-mentioned zones' by passing vapor from said second-mentioned zones directly into contact with the material in said first-mentioned zones.

4. In the production of wort the method which comprises passing a fluid aqueous suspension of starch-containing material continuously through a plurality of zones, maintaining in each of said zones a uniform condition of 'temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of ow of the material, and thereafter evaporatively cooling said material by passing it through a plurality of zones maintained at successively decreasing pressures, and supplying heat toA said first-mentioned zones by passing vapor from said second-mentioned zones to said first-mentioned zones which are maintained at lower pressure than the pressure existing in the zone from which the vapor is derived.

5. In the production of wort the method which comprises passing a fluid aqueous suspension of starch-containing material continuously through a plurality of zones, maintaining in each of said zones a uniform condition of temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of the material, the rate of flow of said material through said zones being regulated to effect substantially complete gelatinization of the starch during the passage of the material therethrough, and thereafter 'cooling the material at least in part 'by direct evaporation of water therefrm.

6. In the production of wort the method which comprisespassing a duid aqueous suspension of starch-containing material continuously through a plurality of zones, maintaining in each of said zones a uniform` condition of temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of the materlal, the rate of now of said material through said zones being regulated to effect substantially complete gelatinization of the starch during the passage of the material therethrough, thereafter cooling the material at least in part by direct evaporation'of water therefrom, and passing a mixture cf the material and a starch-saccharlfying substance in a continuous stream through a heating zone maintained at saccharifying temperature without substantial agitation.

'1. In apparatus for the continuous procsing materials, a plurality of pressure cookers serlaily connected for the passage of mash successively' therethrough, a plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, and means for supplying pressure steam from A a source thereof to the cooker operating under highest pleSSlll'e.

8. In apparatus for the Continous processing of materials, a plurality of pressure cookers serially connected for the passage of mash successively therethrough, plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, means for supplying pressure steam from a source thereof to the cooker operating underv highest pressure, and valve means in the connections between each of said cookers, between each of said coolers and between said coolers and said cookers for `maintaining predetermined dilerential pressures in said cookers and coolers.

9. In apparatus for the continuous processing of materials, a plurality of pressure cookers serially connected for the passage of mash successively therethrough, a plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, means for supplying pressure steam from a source thereof to the cooker operating under highest pressure, valve means in the connections between each of said cookers, between each of said coolers and'between said coolers .and said cookers for maintaining predetermined diferential pressures in said cookers and coolers, a mash pre-cooker adapted to be maintained under lower pressure than any of said cookers. means for continuously transferring mash from said pre-cooker to the cooker maintained under lowest pressureand means connectingA the vapor space of the cooler maintained under lowest pressure with said precooker'.

l0. In apparatus for the continuous processing of materials, a plurality of pressure cookers serial- Ly connected for the passage of mash successively therethrough, a plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, means for supplying pressure steam from a source thereof to the 2,343,706 out substantial intermingling of the material therethrough, a plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, means for supplying pressure steam from a source thereof to the cooker operating underl highest pressure, valve means in the connections betweeneach of said' cookers. between each of said coolers and between said coolers and said cookers for maintainingpredetermined diierential pressures in said cookers and coolers, a saccharier comprising a container' providing an extended Ipath for thev ow of mash therethrough, means for continuously transfer- 5 grinding the softened material to a ne state of subdivision toproduce a uid aqueous suspension of starch-containing material, passing said material continuously through a plurality of heating zones under superatmospheric pressure, maintaining in each of said zones a uniform condition of temperature and pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of th material, the rate of flow ofthe material through said zones being regulated to eiect substantially complete gelatinizat-ion of the starch during the passage of the material therethrough, and thereafter passing a mixture of the material and a starch-saccharifying substance in a continuous stream through a heating zone maintained at saccharifying temperature without substantial agitation.

14. In the production of wort, the method i which comprises heating a starch-containing maring mash from the last of said coolers to said.

saccharifler, and means connecting the Vapor space of'the last of said coolers with said saccharier.

12. In apparatus for the continuous processing of materials, a plurality of pressure cookers serially connected vfor the passage of mash4 successively therethrough, a plurality of vapor release coolers serially connected for the passage of mash from f the last of said cookers successively through said coolers, conduit means connecting the vapor space of each of said coolers except the one maintained under lowest pressure with one of said cookers maintained under a pressure lower than the cooler connected thereto, means for supplying pressure steam from'a source thereof to the cooker operating under highest pressure, valve means in the connections ybetween each of said cookers, between each of said coolers and between said coolers and said cookers for maintaining predetermined diiferential pressures in said cookers and coolers, a saccharifler comprising a container providing an extended path for the flow of mash therethrough, means for continuously transferring mash from the last of said coolers to said sacchariiier, heat transfer means for cooling the mash between said cooler and said saccharifier, and means for supplying at least a portion of the heat absorbed from said mash to said saccharier.

13. In the production of Wort, the method .whichcomprises heating a starch-containing material in aqueous suspension at approximately atv mospheric pressure gmtil the material is softened,

terial in aqueous suspension at approximately atmospheric pressure until the material is softened,

grinding the softened material'to a ne state of subdivision to produce a fluid vaqueous suspen-f sion of starch-containing material, passing said material continuously through a plurality of heating zones under super-atmospheric pressure, maintaining in each of said zones 'a uniform condition of temperature ahd pressure increasing from zone to zone in the direction of flow of the material, the rate of flow of the material through said zones being regulated to eiect substantially complete gelatinization of the starch during the passagefofA the material therethrough, mixing nely ground malt with said material, and passing the mixture in a continuous stream through a heating zone maintained 'at saccharifying temperature without substantial agitation. A

15. In the production oi' wort the method which comprises passing an aqueous suspension j of a starch-containing material continuously through a heating zone atapproximately atmospheric pressure until the material is,softened,

grinding the softened material to a ne state of subdivision to produce a uid aqueous'suspension of starch-containing material, passing the suspension continuously through a heating zone under superatmospheric pressure at a. rate of now regulated with respect to the temperature in said zone to e'ect substantially complete gelatinization of the starch and thereafter passing a mixture of the material and a starch-saccharifying substance in a continuous stream through a heating zone maintained at saccharifying temperatul'e.v 1

GUSTAVE4 T. REICH. 

